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The Weird Week in Review

Dutch Moon Rock is Fake

A former prime minister of the Netherlands received an Apollo 11 moon rock as a gift from U.S. ambassador J. William Middendorf in 1969. After the death of Willem Drees in 1998 the rock went to the Dutch National Museum in Amsterdam. In 2006, a space expert saw the stone on display and questioned the museum about the rock. An investigation revealed the rock was not from the moon after all. The museum called NASA and confirmed that moon rocks were not given away in 1969, and any rocks given away were from later Apollo missions. Middendorf, now living in Rhode Island, said he received the rock from the US State Department, but couldn't remember the details.

Legless Turtle Walks Again

Lucky is a turtle living in Petaluma, California. On July 31st, Lucky was attacked by what his owner Sally Pyne believes was a raccoon. A veterinarian amputated what was left of Lucky's frontÂ legs. But Lucky can walk again, since the vet put plastic chair sliders under the front of his shell, allowing his back legs to push him along without catching his shell against the ground.

130 Miles in a Wheelchair to Propose

An unnamed 67-year-old man traveled 130 miles over four days in his wheelchair to propose to a 66-year-old widow. He went from Minden to Salzwedel in Germany propelling himself with his arms as the wheelchair was not motorized. The woman rejected his offer of marriage, and he set out for home. On the way, he was hungry and decided to help himself to corn from a field, but his chair went into a rut and overturned. He called for help on his cell phone and was rescued by police. The man then refused a ride home, preferring to continue with his wheelchair.

Live Turkeys Stuffed with Cocaine

Officials acting on a tip searched a bus in Tarapoto, Peru for cocaine. They had been alerted that the cocaine was in a crate of turkeys, but they didn't see any. However, the two live turkeys appeared bloated. Police chief Otero Gonzalez said the turkeys a seam under the wings showed that the birds had been surgically implanted. A veterinarian removed over four pounds of cocaine in capsules from one turkey, and over six pounds from the other. The turkeys survived the surgery and are recovering.

Bridge Smeared with Butter to Stop Suicides

Officials in Guangzhou, China were tired of traffic jams caused by drivers slowing down to watch suicides on a steel highway bridge. In one month there were eight deaths and numerous others who changed their minds after climbing the bridge. Guards and signs were posted, but that didn't discourage those who wanted to jump. Then they ordered workers to smear the bridge with butter to discourage those who would leap off the 1,000-foot-long bridge to their death. The butter makes it difficult for would-be suicides to climb to a jumping point. So far, the bizarre plan is working.

Flintstones Wedding

Two couples from Norfolk, England got married in a double wedding dressed as characters from the TV show The Flintstones! Andrea and Simon Bean dressed as Fred and Wilma Flintstone, and Richard and Jill Noble were Barney and Betty Rubble as they took their vows at Weston Park Golf Club. The guests also dressed as cavemen and cavewomen. The processional began as the traditional Wagner, then switched to the Flintstones theme. All of the participants had been married before and felt no need for a tradition wedding. In lieu of gifts, the couples received donations for the Children's Liver Disease Foundation.

Appendix Ruptures a Month After Removal

Mark Wattson of Swindon, England was diagnosed with a ruptured appendix in August. He thought the doctors must have made a mistake, since his appendix had been removed in July! Nevertheless, his appendix was removed in a second surgery. Wattson endured an infection from the second surgery and spent several days in the hospital fighting it. His employers did not believe his story of two appendectomies and fired him. Wattson is considering taking legal action against the hospital. He wants to know what they took out during the first surgery.

Also on Mental Floss:

DID YOU KNOW? Marlon Brando hated memorizing lines so much that he posted cue cards everywhere to help him get through scenes.
He even asked for lines to be written on an actress's posterior. (That request was denied.)